Author: Michael Tario

Watch Out for Deer on the Roads: Whatcom County Sees 3 Wildlife Crashes in 24 Hours

As reported by the Bellingham Herald, there was a recent series of wildlife crashes involving deer hit on 1-5 in less than a 24-hour period. While it is uncommon for so many deer car accidents to happen in our county in such a short window, fall is the most common time for deer-related crashes. That means drivers should be extra alert to wildlife on our roadways in order to prevent a collision right now.

Deer Car Accident Statistics

Every year, about 1.23 million car accidents happen in the U.S. involving deer.  These accidents are responsible for the deaths of approximately 200 Americans and an additional 10,000 injuries. Most deer collisions happen in the fall, especially in November.

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4 Vehicle Rollover Crash Snarls Traffic On I-5

It’s fall in the Pacific Northwest and that inevitably means more rain and wet roads. Rainy and wet road conditions can increase the risk of a crash. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 74 percent of all weather-related car accidents happen on wet pavement and 46 percent happen during rainfall. For comparison, 12 percent of weather-related accidents occur on icy roads while 14 percent occur on snowy or slushy pavement. That means that wet roads contribute to five times as many car accidents as icy or snowy road conditions.

One of the biggest factors in the danger of wet roads versus icy or snowy roads is driving behaviors; drivers are more likely to slow down and leave extra space between vehicles when they know that roads are icy versus when they are wet. What drivers need to know is that it takes about three times longer to brake on wet roads than on dry roads so we should be slowing down in the rain or after a rainfall. An accident that happened in Bellingham yesterday afternoon may have been worsened by the wet roadway.

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String of 3 DUI Crashes Reported Over the Weekend

While we have made great strides on education around the consequences of drinking and driving, there are still far too many accidents involving alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each day about 28 Americans die in DUI crashes. In the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, more than 10,000 people died every year in drunk driving car accidents.

We Fight for Victims of DUI Crashes

Tario & Associates, P.S. has over 40 years’ experience representing victims of drunk driving car accidents. When you have been seriously injured through no fault of your own you may need a legal advocate who will fight for the settlement you deserve. Free consultations and no up-front fees make hiring a car accident lawyer the right choice for many accident victims. Contact us today!

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Prevent a Car Accident with These Fall Driving Safety Tips

The first several weeks of fall in the Pacific Northwest are usually beautiful with a little rain and plenty of sunshine, even if temperatures are starting to cool. Still, we all know what lies ahead as we inch toward standard daylight time: darker evenings, and colder, wetter weather. We could even see ice or snow fall by the end of November. As we transition out of summer weather, it’s a great time to review fall driving safety tips to reduce our chances of getting into a car accident.

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Bellingham Street Race Leads to Crash Death of 28-Year-Old Passenger

As reported by whatcom-news.com, a street race in Bellingham, WA the evening of September 28, led to the death of a 28-year old passenger. A police investigation revealed that first responders were called to the intersection of Woburn, Iowa and Yew Streets after a report of a crash about 8:45 p.m. When they arrived, they found a 2007 Dodge Charger resting on its side after colliding with a tree. According to the report, witnesses reported seeing two cars traveling east on Iowa Street involved in a street race and when they passed the intersection, one of the cars lost control and crashed into a tree.

The 24-year-old driver, who was later transported by ambulance to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center to treat his injuries, was out walking around when police arrived. His 28-year-old passenger stayed in the car with critical injuries and was eventually declared dead at the scene.

According to the report, the driver showed signs of intoxication and the investigation provided probable cause to arrest and charge him with suspicion of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, and driving while his license was suspended.

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Top 6 Reasons You Can’t Trust Insurance Adjusters for your Accident Claim

Unfortunately, most people are involved in at least a few motor vehicle accidents over the course of their lives. In the days after the accident, you will very likely receive a phone call from the at-fault insurance adjuster (a representative from the at-fault driver’s insurance company) in an attempt to settle your accident claim as quickly as possible. What you need to understand is that adjusters are highly trained to steer the conversation in a direction that will ultimately benefit the insurance company; not you.

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Early Analysis Shows Bicycle Accident Fatality Rate Increased During COVID-19

While the COVID-19 Pandemic is not over and it may be a little longer before 2020 bicycle accidents and injuries data are fully analyzed, we have enough information now to know that more bicyclists were killed in accidents in the early part of the pandemic as a percentage of total traffic accidents. Everyone remembers the almost empty streets that marked the stay-at-home orders in the early days of the pandemic. With so few cars on the road during those months, it makes sense that car accidents dropped dramatically. The rate of bicycle accidents and corresponding injuries, on the other hand, increased during the pandemic shutdowns. As we begin to analyze the numbers, the picture becomes clearer.

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Signs of Chemical Restraint Abuse in Nursing Homes

Caring for the elderly can be a very rewarding job, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t without its challenges. Regardless, our parents and grandparents deserve to be treated with the utmost care and respect in their vulnerable years. They depend on caregivers to meet their physical needs, and in some cases, their mental and emotional ones too. Most seniors take at least one prescription drug to treat or manage health conditions such as high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, or depression.

Without stating the obvious, there are appropriate and inappropriate uses of prescription medication. While psychiatric or psychotropic medication is commonly used to treat mental illness, Medicare and Medicaid programs both prohibit chemical restraint, as does Washington State law. The potential for overuse and abuse as well as injury, harm, or death to the patient is just too great.

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What Should I do When an Insurance Company Offers Me a Settlement Check?

One of the worst parts of being in a car accident is having to deal with insurance adjusters after the accident. You know they aren’t really on your side but they try to make themselves as friendly as possible to coax you into accepting their initial settlement offer. Inevitably, the offer is made before you have even had a chance to receive most of your medical care or had the damages on your vehicle assessed. It’s certainly made before you have had the chance to recover from your injuries. How can you possibly accept an offer before you know the full extent of your damages?

Still, we sympathize with those who are tempted to accept this initial settlement offer; it’s a stressful time and you may already have medical bills piling up that you are worried about paying for. If you think you will get sucked in by talking to an insurance adjuster, know that you are not obligated to speak to them. (You are required to report your accident to your own insurance company). When you hire a personal injury attorney, they will negotiate on your behalf, deflecting the common tactics commonly used to get injured victims to settle early on.

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Medical Factors That Affect Senior Drivers Accident Risk

Most of us are aware that as we age, safe driving can become more difficult. Adult children often get to a point with their elderly parents where they worry about their ability to drive safely. And there is reason to be concerned. According to cdc.gov, in 2018, almost 7,700 senior adults, ages 65 plus, were killed in traffic crashes. An additional 250,000 were treated in emergency departments for crash injuries. Older drivers, especially those 75 and up, are more vulnerable to injury in a crash than middle-aged drivers (aged 35-54); contributing to a higher crash death rate among this age group.

With an aging population, we will have an increasing number of senior drivers licensed to drive between now and 2030. Data from the Federal Highway Administration, points to a 60 percent increase in licensed drivers aged 65 and older in the United States between 2000 and 2018. What does this mean for safety on our roads? The good news is that older drivers tend to be more responsible than other age groups; they are less likely to drink and drive and more likely to wear their seatbelt.

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